| Rabbitbells
|
| Crotalaria rotundifolia
|
| Fabaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and butterdly gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
A common understory herb in a variety of open, upland ecosystems. |
| Availability: |
|
Rarely grown by native plant nurseries. |
| Description: |
| |
Small herbaceous wildflower. |
| Height: |
| |
Typically 3-6 inches in height. Spreading and forming small, open patches. |
| Growth Rate: |
| |
Moderate. |
| Range: |
| |
Southern and eastern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key. |
| Habitats: |
| |
Pinelands and open, coastal uplands. |
| Soils: |
| |
Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus. |
| Nutritional Requirements: |
| |
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
| Salt Water Tolerance: |
| |
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
| Salt Wind Tolerance: |
| |
High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
| |
High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
| Light Requirements: |
| |
Full sun. |
| Flower Color: |
| |
Yellow. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
| |
Semi-showy, about 5/16" long. |
| Flowering Season: |
| |
All year. |
| Fruit: |
| |
Brown inflated pod (legume). Seeds "rattle" when the fruit is ripe. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
| |
Larval host plant for ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) butterflies. |
| Horticultural Notes: |
| |
Can be grown from seed. |
| Comments: |
| |
See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page. |
|
|
|
|